Polish left picks young leader

WARSAW - Poland's deeply unpopular ruling leftists have picked energetic young farm minister Wojciech Olejniczak as their new leader, opening the road to talks to reunite the left ahead of elections in September.

Olejniczak was picked to replace veteran Jozef Oleksy, who resigned earlier this week after failing to repair the SLD's sleaze-ridden image and opinion poll ratings.

The Democratic Left Alliance (SLD), which won 41 per cent of the vote four years ago, is trailing in opinion polls and looks certain to lose power to a resurgent centre-right due to high unemployment and an image tarnished by numerous sleaze scandals.

Analysts said Olejniczak's election held out hope of fresh moves to unify the left and revitalise the SLD before the polls, but cautioned that with popular support of 3-8 per cent it may be too little too late.

- REUTERS